Book Review: A
Syntax Guide for Readers of the Greek New Testament
by Charles Irons
Similar cover and format to Philip Wesley Comfort’s A Commentary on the Manuscripts and Text of
the New Testament, you will get added benefit if you keep both volumes
handy as you study the Greek New Testament. In fact, I would have loved to have
both volumes combined into one somehow.
This is intermediate Greek and it may not be helpful for the beginning
student of Koiné Greek; however, I would not have it too far away when
preparing a sermon based on a New Testament text. There’s much to like in the
volume, although many times I wished the author would go into greater detail. I
wonder if the publishers limited him a little too much, in order to match the
size and layout of the aforementioned volume (and probably Comfort also got
limited to the standards of this series). Yes, the aim is to help the
intermediate student read through the New Testament “with minimal interruptions”,
but let’s face it, we still have to have our Greek New Testament open and this
volume (along with Comfort’s), so the interruptions are present no matter what;
given that, I’d love a little more detail.
The book needs to update its Bibliography to current NT
Greek linguistic discussions/intermediate grammars to be more accurate and,
therefore, useful to the Seminary student; otherwise, they may get blindsided
by more current research not present in this brief tome.
The resource is recommended, though perhaps the best place for
the information would be as footnotes (along with Comfort’s book) in a Reader’s
Greek New Testament. THEN, the interruptions to the reader would be truly
minimal.
3/5 Stars
Disclosure: The book was
received for free from Kregel Academic & Ministry review program. The
program does not require a positive review, only a truthful one.
